LLM (large language model)
A large language model (LLM) is a machine learning model trained on large amounts of data to process and generate language. It produces responses from patterns learned during training and the context supplied at use time. An assistant can combine an LLM with search or other tools, but those capabilities are not inherent in every model response.
Why it matters for a business
An owner must distinguish information learned during training from information retrieved when the customer asks. Updating a page does not rewrite a model’s training. A search-enabled assistant may instead find the current page when building its answer.
Example and evidence
The AIGROW research on assistant recommendations separates tests with web search from earlier tests without search. Comparing these settings helps explain why a current website can matter in one test while the other relies on a different information path.
Read the assistant comparison study
What to do next
When interpreting a visibility result, record the assistant and whether search was enabled. Review the answer for factual accuracy. Publish current, accessible information, while avoiding claims that a page edit has retrained an assistant.
Common question
Related terms
Sources and method
Sources checked on 2026-10-09. Examples marked illustrative are not measured business results.
Check your own business in AI answers
Run the free scan to see which assistants name your business and which facts need attention. A scan is a sample, not a promise of future recommendations.